SCORE ONE FOR LAW ABIDING JAMAICANS:

Sharon Hay-Webster

Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Sharon Hay-Webster yesterday voted with Government members to secure the extension of a piece of legislation which gives the police power to arrest suspected criminals without charge for up to 72 hours. Hay-Webster, who recently resigned from the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP), said siding with her former party would amount to gross dereliction of duty.”I speak in defence of the many citizens’ lives that have been protected because of these interim acts that we have done,” said Hay-Webster, who represents the volatile south central St Catherine said. “I could not vote against this interim act extension because I believe it is for the protection of life and property, and I vote for that for my people,” she added(Taken from the Jamaica Gleaner) Sharon Hay Webster, Jamaica thanks you .This is not the first time you have bucked conventional wisdom, and stood with the Jamaican people . Ronald Thwaites is the MP of a Jamaican Garrison.[fact] D K Duncan ,what can I say ? A sad reminder of a shameful past, (see Granges comments) [fact] This brings us to Peter Bunting,this is the shadow Minister of National Security , and a possible future Minister of National security ! Every Police Officer, Army Officer,every soldier, every law-abiding Jamaican ought to be aghast, that anyone with views like his could have anything to do with National security , or their own security. In any Country serious about crime, this guy wouldn’t even have a security clearance, not so in Jamaica , here he continues to play cheap political, games with the safety and security of the Jamaican people.

As I have maintained , supported by facts ,whenever the Jamaican people needed the PNP on the sensitive issue of National Security, they are never there, this is a historical fact . On the 2nd of March 1972 the People’s National Party came to power in Jamaica on a wave of popular support,after running on a platform of “better must come” under their watch Jamaica experienced its greatest period of Political tribalism and blood-letting, this resulted in Hundreds of people loosing their lives to Political killings. The greatest periods of upheaval was those leading up to the 1976 and 1980 Elections which saw a blood struggle between the forces loyal to Edward Seaga of the JLP and Michael Manley of the PNP.Many will argue that the violence was not carried out by just PNP supporters , this is absolutely correct , there are no attempts here at laying blame for political violence. The arguments being made here are about the lack of resolve shown by Manley and his Government to effectively re-establish the Authority of the rule of law, during this period the security forces were rendered impotent , lack of weapons , lack of personnel, lack of vehicles, and lack of support,prisoners were removed from Police lock ups by PNP politicians and their goons , while Police Officers stood by unable to act, The Olympic Gardens Police Station was invaded and Police Officers slaughtered. Elections were held on 15 December 1976 , while the state of emergency was still in effect. The PNP was returned to office. The State of Emergency continued into the next year. Extraordinary powers granted the police by the Suppression of Crime Act of 1974 continued to the end of the 1980s.(source Manley Wikipedia page) more than 500 people were arrested and locked up at the Army Barracks Up Park Camp without charge , without bail,most if not all were either JLP politicians or supporters of the JLP. They were supposedly held because they were plotting to overthrow the Manley Government, to date not one person so held was ever charged , much less convicted for plotting to overthrow the Government. Interestingly, despite this history , last year the People’s National party under the leadership of Portia Simpson Miller refused en mass to support the Security Forces by extending the limited State of Emergency , a move that would effectively give them breathing room to secure and hold territories under the control of well armed thugs who threatened the Jamaican State. The PNP used the populist argument of not wanting to see the rights of people violated by the security forces,an argument that resonates with the terrorists in Tivoli Gardens and all other Garrisons within our country, and the criminal coddling sympathizers in Jamaicans for justice, but which had no credibility with reasonable people in Jamaica or the rest of the world who watched with horror as armed militias attacked and destroyed police vehicles , killed members of our police force and military, as well as numerous members of the public.

Armed militia members could be seen on the streets parading with AK47 rifles burning shooting and murdering at will,some will logically argue that this happened under the JLP , and they would be absolutely correct, the argument being made here is the PNP’s lack of support for the rule of law , not supporting what Golding was forced to do after his mangling of the Christopher Coke debacle. By refusing to support the limited state of emergency the PNP sided with the Forces of Anarchy. No amount of argument to the contrary will convince law-abiding people in Jamaica or around the world otherwise,and dam sure won’t convince me .Not supporting our Police and military was a reprobate act ,one steeped in Political expediency, one which left the Jamaican people out to dry at the mercy of AK47 toting thugs. There are those who argue the Government could simply have accepted a stop-gap measure the opposition offered , or simply go back to the Governor General to gain an extension, indisputable facts , but facts that does nothing to negate the threachery they engaged in choosing not to support those who risk their lives to make sure others may be safe, that was an act of betrayal, it is full-time the PNP stop playing political games with the lives of the Jamaican people , it is time the posturing and placating stop,the long-term economic success and well-being of the Jamaican people hinges on a safe and secure Nation, there can be no growth without stability.

As we speak the PNP is on a grand tour around the Country, technically nothing is wrong with what they are doing, since what they do very well is campaign, but women and children , young men and old men are being beheaded, and as Portia and Knight and the other bunch of old failures parade on the circus tour, they utter nary a word of condemnation of what is going on in the country.As far as they are concerned it is just par for the course. Ask Portia Simpson Miller what are her plans if she wins the next election and the response will be the same tired old narrative from I was a child,,helping the poor. One would hope those offering themselves up for leadership , or in Jamaica’s case rulership , would understand this , most of the people in the PNP are old recycled failures whom have been around for decades taking turn after turn at the public trough,Thwaites, Duncan.Portia Simpson Miller, Pickersgill,Davis, the list goes on and on , all of these guys have been in representational politics since I was kid , they have failed and are now lining up for another go around at the public’s expense, how long are the people going to remain blissfully ignorant? how much longer are they going to squander their’s and their children’s future on the altar of political allegiance to both political parties .Over the decades this party has shown nothing but reckless disregard,and absolute incompetence on the issue of crime and violence, and the baby they produce, Terrorism.